Posted 2009-12-29 4:54 PM (#114638 - in reply to #113127) Subject: RE: What are trainers charging these days?
Expert
Posts: 1723 Location: michigan
Terri- a previous poster suggested licensing trainers to which I was responding that I don't agree with licensing for trainers. Owners are another topic. There is nothing wrong letting a young horse grow up without constant handling and fussing. They do not need to be saddled at a young age or repeatedly ponied. For the most part my young horses are given basic handling and teaching them to respect me but otherwise I save the saddling for another time such as when they start training (using surcingals for long lining and bitting them up) They take to the saddle and girth feel pretty quickly. I have found that just going slowly, step by step and allowing the horse to relax and feel comfortable before moving on just makes it faster in the long run. Its on thing to baby a horse and another to over do it. Riding them excessively can do more hard than good - i want to see a horse bright and alert ready to work and enjoying it rather than ridden so hard they get dumpy.
Posted 2009-12-29 9:09 PM (#114649 - in reply to #113127) Subject: RE: What are trainers charging these days?
Elite Veteran
Posts: 824 Location: Kansas
Farmbabe-that question was intended for the previous poster (glide); think we probably posted at the same time and yours came up first. I wasn't sure if he/she was trying to say the owners should be licensed or the trainers should be.
Posted 2009-12-29 9:26 PM (#114650 - in reply to #114638) Subject: RE: What are trainers charging these days?
Expert
Posts: 2828 Location: Southern New Mexico
I'm not sure which of us you were talking to, but I pony my filly as a way to exerscise her. I don't have a pasture for turn out so she got ponied when we went riding. I found it was good for her to see how my older horses reacted to things and helped her stay calm. The first time a car zoomed past and honked their horn she about crawled up in the saddle with me. Now she doesn't blink when drivers are being stupid. She has also learned to cross mud puddles and stand her ground when strange dogs come running up barking. Not stuff I want her to experience for the first time with me on her.
Posted 2009-12-31 12:51 PM (#114702 - in reply to #114638) Subject: RE: What are trainers charging these days?
Veteran
Posts: 186
Expert, I agree I have worked with some three year olds that were never handled and they turned out fine, my current riding mare was never touched until she was 10 months old. Yes if their breeding is good they can cope and be good usable horses with out tons of handleing as babies. My idea is the license or even a mandatory set of videos to be watched, for first time horse owners, back yard people that raise a foal that becomes - not affraid- of people and pushy and agressive because they are actually alfa not the people, these are the horses that are more time comsuming for the professional trainers to deal with. And a PIA for the farrier. And IMO when you spend an hour total, like 10 times for 5 minutes each time, in the first 6 months of a foals life putting a pony saddle and cinch on them, there is none - zero - zippo -stress when you start saddle training. That was the point of the story about the horse I got back, she had that done to her as a baby and even tho it was almost two years later she stood like it was yesterday to be saddled. Just a short cut I learned along the road of life with horses.
What are trainers charging these days?
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